Clasp-brake.



W. C. HEDGCDDK.

CLASP BRAKE." APPLICATION FILED OCT 2,1916.

Patented Apr. 24:, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. HEDGCOCK. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEELFOUNDRIES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CLASP-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

Application filed October 2, 1916. Serial No. 123,258.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, \VlLLiAM C. I-lnnocoon, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Clasp-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway on r brakes and has particular referenceto an improvement or modification in the construction shown in mycopcnding application, Serial No. 8l,595, tiled March 2, 1916, renewedFeb. 19 191T, under Serial. No. HD 656.

In the application referred to a construction was disclosed in which twocomplete sets of brake riggings were provided, one at each side of thecar, the brake lovers of the rigging being connected to brake beams orbars near the ends thereof, the beams or bars carrying a brake head attheir extremities. The present improvement relates to a construction inwhich the location and arrangement of the brake riggings and thesupports therefor are the same, but in which the brake heads are mountedupon brake hangers, the lower ends of the brake hangers serving as apoint of connection for the brake bars or beams. ln a construction suchas last desm'ibed all the advantages accruing to the constructionshown'in the eopendiug application heretofore referred to are presentand in addition there is the advantage that the brake heads maylunloeattd at a point; nearer a horizontal line passing through the earaxle. This is possible be: cause of the location of the head at a pointmidway the length of the brake hanger.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to thedrawings in which the tigure is a fragmentary persln-rtive viewillustrating a complete rigging, the points of connection to the truckbeing omitted.

lly referring to the ligure. it. will be seen that l have illustrated arigging adapted l'or six-wheel trucks. the brake: being, of the clasptype; that is. the type in which two llt'illtt shoes are applied to eachwheel.

'lhe air cylinder pull rods are indicated at l". the ends of the rodscommuting with bl'alie level-s ll. 'llie lower ends of the brake leversll connect with l)|'itl\'(. bars 12 near the. ends of the bars. l'ivotedto the ends of the bar l2 are. hanger levers 13, the upper ends ol whichare connected at 11- to a rigid portion of the truck. A brake head andshoe 15 are connected lltO the hanger lever at a point intermediate theends thereof. The bar or beam 12 serves the double function ofconnecting the .two sets of rigging and supporting both sets' of riggingon a line along the longitudinal center line of the truck at a singlepoint at the center and also by the hanger levers 13, at both sides ofthe truck. The single point supportingmeans comprises the hanger 16,connected at its upper end to the bracket 17, which is secured to aportion of the car truck.

The rigging just described is connected by links 18, 1!), to other unitsof the same character, the last brake lever .20 being anchored at Ql toa rigid portion of the truck. The riggings are duplicated on each sideof the truck. The novelty in the present constructionover thatof mycopending application I referred tois in the mounting of the brake headupon the hanger levers instead of on the ends of the beam.

Undoubtedly other imalilications will snggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to theexact form shown and described.

1 claim:

1. in a brake, tl plete set of bralk igging at each side of the truck,said rigging including a hanger lever and a brake shoe attached theretoat-v a point i'nternnaliate the ends thereof, a beam connecting theriggings at each side of the truck and pivoted at the lower ends of'said combination of a com beam. substantially as described.

2. In a clasp brake, the combination of riggings. located one at eachside ot' the truck. a hanger lever. the upper end of which is pivoted tothe truck, a brake head secured to said hanger lever intermediate theends thereof, a brake bar pivoted to the lower end of said hanger leverand serving to connect the riggings on the two sides of the truck. and asupport, in the form of a bracket and link, connected to said brakebarnear the middle thereof, substantially as descrilnal.

It. tn a el asp brake. for trucks, the combination ofa pair ofriggin'gs. one at each side of the truck. brake bars connected to saidriggings. hanger levers depending tromthe truck in the plane of thewheels, brake heads secured to said leners intermeditae the ends Signedat Chieag'o, Illinois, this 27th day thereof, the lower ends of saidhanger levers of September, 1916. being pivoted to said brake bars, anda sup:

port for each of said brake bars, said sup- WILLIAM HEDGCOOK' 5 portsbeing located on the longitudinal cen- Witnesses:

teltline of the truck, substantially as de- I GEORGE A. PETERSON,

scri ed.

Gnome S. CHILES.

